Gators Drop Pair to Wooster

Mar 24, 2007

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Allegheny College Gators ended their Florida trip with an 0-10 record, facing off against some of the nation’s top opponents, dropping a pair of games to 15th ranked Wooster to end the trip, falling by scores of 9-3 and 5-0 as the team combined for 11 games in the final two games of the trip.

The Gators got off to a rough start defensively in the opening game of the day, allowing four runs and picking up two errors in the bottom of the first inning. The Fighting Scots batted around the order, collecting four hits and two unearned runs against Allegheny starter Aaron Skalko (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane).

The Blue and Gold put their first run on the board with a leadoff double by Zach Skowvron (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) in the top of the fourth inning, who then advanced to third on a strike-three wild pitch to Matt Young (State College, Pa./State College). With runners on the corners, Alex Herrnberger (Eighty Four, Pa./Canon McMillan) hit a deep fly to center field to score in Skowvron.

After Wooster added a fifth run in the bottom of the fourth inning, Allegheny posted a pair of runs of their own, as senior Jimmy Fernandez (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) led the inning off with a single. Mike Pereslucha (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski) followed with a double down the left field line, his first collegiate hit, as a pair of RBI groundouts by Eric Rich (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) and Brian Schmidt (Utica, Pa./Franklin) scored a runner apiece.

Wooster didn’t waste much time countering, scoring three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to give the game its final score of 9-3.

Each of the Gator’s five hits came from different batters, with Skalko picking up the loss, pitching four and two-thirds of an inning, striking out a pair and allowing five earned runs while scattering seven hits.

In the second game, a 5-0 loss, the Gators fell victim to a strong pitching performance by Wooster freshman Matt Barnes, who pitched six innings of shutout ball, striking out seven and scattering six hits. The Scots scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning, before adding three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, giving the game it’s 5-0 final score. Rich was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate for the Gators, as Young, Skowvron and Pete Obourn (Farmington, N.Y./Victor) each had one of the team’s other three hits.

J.R. Hess (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) started the second game for the Gators and had his second effective start in his young career. Hess pitched five innings, striking out one and allowing six hits and five runs, only three of which were earned after the Gators committed six errors in the series’ nightcap. Justin Abbott (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) closed out the game for the Gators, retiring the Fighting Scots in order in the sixth inning.

The Blue and Gold are back in action Wednesday March 28th for a double-header against John Carroll at 1:00 p.m. at the Robertson Field Complex.

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